World News - Saddam trial defense complains of restrictions Attorneys also say one witness has been killed, defense being undermined

The defense in the trial of Saddam Hussein said Tuesday that one of its witnesses had been killed and complained of restrictions on presenting its case.The defense did not identify the slain witness or give details on how or when he was killed, but it said the death illustrated the difficulties undermining an effective defense of Saddam and seven former members of his regime."The defense is not free to present its witnesses the way the prosecution is," one of the defense lawyers told chief judge Raouf Abdel-Rahman. "There are restrictions that limit us, as well as the security provisions necessary to bring the witnesses to the court. Some days ago, one of the witnesses who testified before us was killed." The lawyer, who is among those on the team whose names have not been made public for security reasons, said the defense is limited because some potential witnesses are wanted by the U.S. military or Iraqi government and so won't appear. He did not elaborate... http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Family members of two Marines say their sons were ordered to photograph and clean up corpses of unarmed Iraqi civilians that members of their unit are suspected of killing, and they have been traumatized ever since. In separate interviews with The Associated Press on Monday, the parents of Lance Cpl. Andrew Wright, 20, and Lance Cpl. Roel Ryan Briones, 21, said their sons told them the events of last November remain seared in their memories. Wright and Briones were members of a Marine unit based at Camp Pendleton that was sent into the western Iraqi city of Haditha to help remove the bodies of as many as two dozen Iraqis, including women and children, who were shot. ...http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/30/iraq/main1665030.shtml?source=RSS&attr=World_1665030

Four aid workers were killed by a gunman riding a motorbike in northern Afghanistan today, officials said. Three female employees of ActionAid International and their male driver - all of whom were Afghan - died when the gunman pulled alongside their vehicle and opened fire, Khan Ahmdar, the governor of Jawzjan province, said.Shanaaz Khan, a spokeswoman for ActionAid International, which is based in South Africa, confirmed the attack but did not give further details. The aid organisation works with local groups to promote education and healthcare and fight against hunger and poverty. Its mobile health teams in Afghanistan travel to remote villages to treat women. ...http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanistan/story/0,,1786092,00.html?gusrc=rss

Jurors who spent the past four weeks listening to John Allen Muhammad question witnesses and argue that he was framed for the Washington-area sniper attacks began their own deliberations Tuesday morning. Muhammad, acting as his own attorney at his second trial in the deadly shootings, told the jury in his closing argument Friday that he was only in the Washington area to search for his ex-wife and children. He said government agencies planted evidence and collaborated to pin the crime on him and teenager Lee Boyd Malvo. "My case is based on one thing. It is very simple. They lied on two innocent men," Muhammad said. Prosecutors told the jury that Muhammad carefully planned and carried out the shootings with teenage accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo, who implicated his former mentor for the first time on the stand. Both men had previously been convicted in attacks in Virginia, and Muhammad was sentenced to death there. ...http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2019488

The Supreme Court on Tuesday made it harder for government employees to file lawsuits claiming they were retaliated against for going public with allegations of official misconduct.By a 5-4 vote, justices said the nation’s 20 million public employees do not have carte blanche free speech rights to disclose government’s inner-workings. New Justice Samuel Alito cast the tie-breaking vote.Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, writing for the court’s majority, said the First Amendment does not protect “every statement a public employee makes in the course of doing his or her job.” The decision came after the case was argued twice this term, once before Justice Sandra Day O’Connor retired in January, and again after her successor, Alito, joined the bench....http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13047151/from/RSS/

East Timor's President Xanana Gusmao is taking control of the country's national security and defence in a bid to defuse mounting unrest. Emergency powers would give Mr Gusmao control of the army and police, split by internal disputes and gang violence. Mr Gusmao, a highly respected former guerrilla leader, also assumed sole charge of coordination with the Australian-led peacekeeping force. His move comes after fresh violence and looting hit the capital, Dili. Mr Gusmao said the decision to impose emergency rule, which would last 30 days, had been taken in "close collaboration" with Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri. Mr Alkatiri has been blamed by other members of the government for failing to stop the violence, which was triggered by the government's sacking of hundreds of troops after they went on strike. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5029794.stm